022: A Bearable Reunion
by Rhiononon
Summary: There's only one thing that can get between a man and his Bear. Part of the Princely Ways story arc, that goes in this chronological order: A Mother's Love, To Be A Prince, A Thousand Words, My Best Friend's Girl, and A Bear-able Reunion.


Title: A Bear-able Reunion

Author: Rhion

Rating: G

Summary: There's only one thing that can get between a man and his Bear.

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.

AN: For blackcathollow – because it was your idea anyway *giggling* And also for the susancaspian LJcommunity weekly drabble #23, the word 'reunion'.

XXX

Susan refrained from laughing aloud. Barely. Myriea, her very beautiful little girl was sitting babbling at a worn out stuffed teddy-bear who was wearing a blue ribbon. Every now and again she would drag it closer, rubbing her face over it while chewing a thumb, then roll over hugging the well loved, and oft patched toy on the plush rug before the window. In the nursery there were a multitude of toys, from carved rocking horses made for pint-sized bodies, to dollies and other things of that sort, none of them showing much recent wear at all. That was because it was the teddy-bear that Myriea was ever so attached to, and it was receiving every bit of her very intense attention.

Watching as the reddish brown curls flopped this way and that while Myriea rocked side to side, head bobbling, gabbling half-sense, Susan held her place in the book she had been going over. Caspian, loving husband and father that he was, was bound by the demands of rulership, and had been taken from his family for almost a month. And so, Caspian had given their daughter a token to keep her pacified, a bit of himself to hold close. So Bear had been left in their little girl's tender care. And now, Susan smiled, wondering how well her lord husband would take to the fact that Bear was not going to be given back without a fight.

A bright squeal, and Myriea levered herself to her feet, squeezing Bear tight to her chest, and toddled over to Susan. Leaning down, Susan smiled while Myriea grinned right back a few teeth presented proudly, and it was so brilliant that she thought she would be blinded by the love and acceptance bursting from those chubby cheeks. Wrapping her arms around Myriea's middle she hoisted the eleven month old into her lap, cuddling her, and running her fingers through her hair. Myriea and Caspian definitely had that in common, those huge almond shaped eyes, the bouncy hair that was as soft as spun silk, and that smile. That beautiful, gorgeous smile, and Susan was grateful to have all this in her life.

"Mama! Looove," it was singsonged before Myriea cuddled ever so closely, shoving Susan's book aside, and Susan happily let it fall in favor of squeezing her daughter in her embrace.

"I love you too Myri," grinning, and pinching the tip of a small nose.

Bear was shoved up to Susan's face, and Myriea made a motion like he was kissing her with his nose, "Bear loooove!"

Smooching in Bear's direction, "I love Bear too!"

"And me, do you love me as well?" it was good natured, warm, tired, and more than welcome.

Mother and daughter turned to look at the main man in their lives, and Susan felt her knees go weak even as she stayed seated. Caspian was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed, still in his riding leathers and hauberk, looking dirty and handsome the way he always would until the day he died. Myriea screamed, ear-piercing and shrill, and scooted from Susan's now lax hold, hauling Bear along with her, running so full tilt she stumbled. Before Susan with her weakened knees could rise to get to Myriea, their daughter was back up and cannoning into Caspian's arms as he bent to scoop her up mid-run.

"Hello my beautiful girl!" tossing their child into the air, making her giggle, and catching her in his secure grasp, "I missed you. Do you have a kiss for me?"

Susan certainly had a kiss for her husband, but her mouth was dry, she had missed him so very much. She just didn't have any clue how she would have possibly survived if Aslan hadn't let her stay with Caspian, and sometimes she would have a flash of fear that all this, all this beauty, all this love, wasn't real. But looking at Caspian and Myriea, Susan knew it _was_ real, and gloriously so. Finding the strength returned to her limbs as suddenly as it had fled, like her daughter before her, Susan rose and ran to Caspian. In a slightly more dignified manner of course.

"Caspian," sighing, wrapping her arms around her spouse and their daughter, Susan felt happy tears pricking her eyes.

XXX

Laying in bed nestled up to Caspian, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her pressed to his side, Susan listened to his heart beating, "I cannot believe I missed seeing her taking her first unassisted steps. Her first words as well..."

"Caspian," she wanted to tell him it was all fine, that all had been well in his absence, that he was still there and hadn't missed any of Myriea's firsts, but she couldn't lie to him like that. "Caspian, you'll always be there for the important things."

Caspian grunted softly, and Susan swore she could _feel_ his mind turning over into darker things, "I do not wish to ever miss a single thing ever again, but I know… I know that it is likely that I shall not be there for very many events."

Leaning up on her elbow, Susan ran her fingers over his soft lips, "Of course you will. You'll be there for her _life_ – in all ways. You're the one who is helping to shape her into the woman she'll become, and it's you who gives her the sense of security and knowledge in the long run to be the person she will be in the end."

"Surely I do not do it entirely by myself," twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

Feeling her mouth curve, Susan gave Caspian a smooch, "Well I suppose you'll have at least a little help…"

"Only a little? Really now, do you not think that I will need more than just a little help?"

"Well I'm sure if you ask Bear nicely, he'd be more than glad to," tracing meaningless patterns in Caspian's chest hair with her fingernail.

To that Caspian grumbled, "If I could get a chance to talk to him, I would certainly request his assistance."

They quieted, and Susan listened to the night sounds of the castle. Caspian's breathing had evened out, going deep and slow, the rise and fall of his chest shifting Susan's head with each intake and exhale. In the middle of the night Susan knew he would reawaken for his usual conversation with Bear and climb from their bed to talk to the stuffed animal. But she wished him luck, because Myriea had taken the toy to bed with her, the same exact way she had every night since Caspian left for the diplomatic mission. Smiling softly as she fell asleep Susan wondered what her husband would do about getting his lifetime friend back from their darling sweet Myriea.

XXX

Failing to contain her giggles, Susan covered her mouth, watching as Caspian helplessly wriggled. Myriea was sucking on Bear's ear, clutching him to her chest and glaring fiercely as only a small child could at Caspian over the fuzzy head. Caspian threw Susan an irritated glance before turning back to their daughter, with his mission obvious for all to see.

Making yet another attempt, "Myriea, my sweet princess, do you think I could hold Bear?" a hint of desperation thickening his voice.

In response, Myriea shook her head, squishing Bear punishingly so that his stuffed body flattened in the middle.

"Dear, I don't think you're making any headway…"

"Hush Susan, I managed to talk King Hilden down, preventing a border war, it should be no," leaning forward as he sat down before Myriea on the floor, attempting to catch hold of their scooting daughter, "problem at all to get our child to relinquish my Bear."

"Me!" it was a little growl, and Myriea twisted in his grasp and writhed away, her round little bottom waving in the air, hair flip-flopping this way and that.

"I think she knows what you want Caspian," no longer seeking to smother her laughter, "and that you have nothing to offer in return."

Caspian huffed, crossing his arms, resembling his daughter greatly, "She is my daughter, and I need not bargain with her at all."

"Oh, is that what you think?" watching as Myriea scrambled to her feet and dove beneath Susan's skirts, taking Bear with her of course.

"Now that is entirely unfair," Caspian cried chasing after Myriea on hands and knees across the nursery floor, stopping short of lifting Susan's skirts at her warning look.

"If you think you can just go on and raise my skirts whenever you please Caspian, now let me tell you –"

He didn't heed her words, raising the hem, and poking his face beneath them, "Myriea, come back here right this instant!"

"No!" and Susan felt her daughter wrap one arm around her calf, pushing her face into her knee.

"Caspian, you're so going to sleep on the sette, you do realize this, don't you?" wrinkling her nose at him, Susan did her best to sound as aggravated as her husband. Which was difficult as the image of Caspian on hands and knees his head half under her voluminous skirts talking to their errant offspring was beyond precious.

"Where I sleep will be of no import," an arm snaking through her petticoats, making a blind grab for Myriea, "if I am unable to sleep at all!"

"Really now," snorting, and toeing his shoulder with a slippered foot, "is it all that bad? Why not just ramble at me rather than Bear? You do it often enough as is."

Popping his head out, Caspian tilted his face back quirking a brow, "I do not ramble _at_ you."

"Bear me!" Myriea dove from under Susan's skirts, making a break for it.

Caspian caught her, hoisting her squirmy short body over his shoulder, patting her bum several times, "No my bratty little girl, Bear is mine."

A high pitched enraged shriek made Susan wince.

Putting a finger to her ear and wiggling it in an attempt to try clearing her brain of the ringing. Caspian's expression showed how pleased he was by being so close to the explosive noise. Another screech sounded when Caspian moved Myriea around, settling her on his hip, so that he could attempt to calm her down.

"Myriea, my sweet," another wince, "please, quiet yourself."

"Me!" squalling, her small face screwed up, cheeks turning red, tears streaming from her eyes as she thrashed and held Bear tightly.

A waving fist bonked Caspian in the head weakly before he could duck, "Ow! Myriea, Myriea, listen to me, I am your – oof!" the fist became a claw and latched in Caspian's hair, yanking.

Susan was well acquainted with how strong Myriea's grip was, her scalp had suffered often as questing fingers had learned how to grab onto things. Now Caspian wasn't unfamiliar with such occurances, but Myriea had gotten bigger and stronger in his absence. Frowning, Susan wondered how to break this up, and in her experience it was best to just put Myriea down and let her scream until she was done before trying to explain something. Myriea wasn't old enough to be reasoned with in the usual fashion, and right now she was feeling threatened while Caspian was _attempting_ to sound reasonable. All Myriea noticed was that her father wanted to take 'her' Bear from her, and she was lodging her vociferous protest in the only way she could.

Moving swiftly, Susan did her best to pry Myriea's fist from Caspian's hair, "Caspian, now you shouldn't have done that, stop struggling." Slipping an arm around Myriea, "Honey, come to Mama, hmm? Let's let go of Dada and you can give me a hug and tell me all about Bear."

That silenced Myriea, and she turned, looked at Susan, and squirmed into her waiting arms, "Mama, Bear," presenting the teddy to Susan then scowled at Caspian over her tiny shoulder, hugging Bear, "Dada - no."

"I do not understand," throwing his hands into the air, Caspian went to take Susan's chair, sprawling into it, "I let her borrow Bear, so that she would not miss me…"

Giving him a look, Susan bounced Myriea up and down on her hip, while her daughter pushed her face into her neck, rubbing her cheek this way and that, "And _that's_ the problem Caspian."

Laying his forearm over his eyes, "You speak in riddles woman, my brain is too busy to puzzle such things out, try something a tad more simple for my besieged mind."

"Because she associates Bear with you," shaking her head, and letting Myriea back down to the rug so she could play now that she was slightly calmer.

"So?" peeking from under his arm at them, looking ever so tired.

Making herself comfortable on the floor next to Myriea, Susan adjusted her skirts with a flick, "He's a place holder, making her feel safe as you always do. Take that away, and you're taking away her safety."

It was apparent that Caspian still didn't understand. But Susan did, she knew how often Caspian would slip away from whatever he was doing to spend time with Myriea. They weren't just father and daughter, parent and child – but _friends_. And for Myriea she didn't want to lose her friend, her best friend ever, which was her father. With Caspian having to leave, Myriea had to latch onto something, and that was Bear. Susan wondered how much Bear had been a placeholder for him as a child for his family and for friends. Daughter like father was very thoughtful, very verbal and very connected to those around them. As though each needed to give their all to everyone, and accept nothing in return except from each other and Susan.

Myriea was certainly a daddy's girl. And Susan was lucky enough to have their love and be allowed to give just as much in return. Sometimes it amazed Susan that Myriea was the product of her body, and had come from her, rather than having sprung fully formed out of thin air. She was just so… interesting.

"Safety?" Caspian shook his head, straightening up in the chair, hands clasped between his spread knees, "But she is always safe, she does not need a toy to keep her that way. I am here, you are here, your siblings are here as well – what reason would she need some…" pursing his lips, searching for the right words.

"Caspian, don't be silly, she's little and needs all the extra sense of security she can get," reaching out, Susan rubbed circles on Myriea's back as she lay on her stomach, chin pillowed on Bear as she watched them curiously.

Waiting for the cogs of Caspian's mind to finish clicking as he stared at Myriea, Susan hoped he could finally grasp it. Myriea only loved Bear as much as she loved her father and his closeness. Now that it was returned Myriea would need to get used to it once more, and hopefully regain the sense of well being she had before Caspian left. She just needed some time, she was just so small, her mind couldn't understand all the upheaval, and if Caspian insisted on trying to remove Bear, she would lose a lot of that very necessary feeling. Susan knew he wouldn't, but she also knew he wasn't the sort to be pushed into a realization. It took a certain finesse to get Caspian to come around to any sort of decision that wasn't of his own devising.

With a groan Caspian let his body slip to the floor, joining his family, "You do not think it will spoil her?" He sounded so uncertain, "I want her to have everything she needs, but I do not… I do not wish for Myriea to be as some children are."

There was a short gabble of sound from the subject of their conversation directed at Caspian. It was almost like she was telling him that everything would be alright, and for him to not worry so much. The sound of her voice forced a smile out of Caspian, and Susan felt an answering one grow over her face. He would figure it out with a little help from Myriea rather than Bear this time.

"Could you see her," leaning over Myriea who rolled onto her back and tickling at her soft tummy, "ever growing into one of those horrid hellions?" Before Caspian could answer, Susan glanced up, catching sight of his worried gaze, "She's too much like you Caspian, she'll only be as wonderful as you are, if not more so."

"As perfect as you, you mean?" reaching out, long fingers brushed over a chubby cheek, making Myriea coo happily. Of course she not once relinquished her hold on Bear.

"Bear!" raising her arms in the air, Myriea shook the teddy side to side before looking from one parent to the other, beaming. "Me Bear! Me Dada. Me Mama!" very adamant, and pleased with it.

"As perfect and wonderful as only she can be," Susan felt syrupy and sweet, the way her heart trembled in her chest whenever Caspian was near, the way the sound Myriea's laughter could make her shiver with joy.

Caspian stretched out beside Myriea, his hand joining Susan's on the small body, giving gentle affection, "Hmm… then I suppose there is no one better suited for Bear than you, hmm Myriea?"

She was silent for a moment, like she was trying to process what her father had said. Her face scrunched this way and that, her brows rising and sinking, bow shaped raspberry pink lips pursing and unpursing as she blinked rapidly, mulling things over in her young mind. Then she snuggled closer to him, and pushed Bear into his face, making Bear give him a kiss.

Rather than take the offered toy, Caspian smiled, shook his head, and pushed Bear back into Myriea's chest, "Bear is yours my sweet. At some other time, perhaps he and I shall be reunited, but until that time comes, he is yours Myriea."

"I suppose that there is only one thing that can come between you and Bear," scooting so that she could watch the loves of her life.

"And what would that be?" absentminded, Caspian was focusing on making faces at Myriea who was returning the favor.

"Oh never mind, you'll never get it," tucking a stray curl behind his ear, Susan just relaxed into the peaceful moment.


End file.
